Are you thinking about enhancing your entire silhouette? Well, you are not alone – breast augmentation is one of the most popular aesthetic surgeries, and today’s options are more cutting-edge and personalized than ever.
The reasons for undergoing breast augmentation are only yours. They can be to restore the volume of your breasts after pregnancy and breastfeeding, to balance your shape, or simply to boost your confidence. You may desire a subtle, natural boost or a more dramatic transformation. In any case, there are two trusted, sophisticated, and exceptional choices – breast implants and fat transfer.
Both deliver beautiful results and offer unique benefits, but work in completely different ways in terms of approach, recovery, and outcomes. In this guide, we will explain the differences between both options and help you make an informed decision about which one is right for your body.
What Is Breast Augmentation?
In a nutshell, breast augmentation is a plastic surgery that enhances the shape, size, or volume of your breasts. It can add volume, improve the symmetry, or restore the youthful appearance of your breasts.
As we already mentioned, there are two options you can choose from
- Breast implants, made of silicone or saline solution
- Fat transfer, where your own fat is used to boost the volume of your breasts.
Both techniques are unique and advanced. Breast implants are a more traditional but very popular method of breast augmentation, which includes placing them behind the breast tissue or chest muscle to create a rounder and more voluminous look. If you want a more dramatic size increase, implants could be your choice.
On the other hand, one of the biggest advantages of fat transfer for breast augmentation is natural-looking results. This technique involves transferring your own fat, harvested from other body areas, into your breasts to add volume and improve their shape. If you want more subtle results and perhaps just one cup increase, then fat transfer might be your solution.
Breast Implants – The Reliable Standard
Breast implants have been here for many decades – they have come a long way in terms of customization and safety. Nowadays, you can choose some of the latest models that offer you a completely natural feel and look. They are designed to maximize the biocompatibility and harmony of your body.
The latest generation of breast implants has a smooth and textured surface, which lets them feel just right in your breasts. They are more stable in the breast pocket and look, feel, and move like natural breasts. They can be fully customized to match your body structure and provide you with absolute comfort. There are different sizes and projections you can choose from based on your aesthetic goals and desired fullness and shape.
What are the pros of breast implants?
One of the biggest advantages of breast implants is that they can offer you a more dramatic size increase. It all depends on the cup size you wish to achieve. But, word of the wise – don’t go overboard. Choose a size that will keep the natural look of your breasts. It doesn’t need to be obvious that you had breast augmentation.
Another thing that makes breast implants a popular choice is that the outcomes are highly predictable in terms of size and shape. When you choose the right size and shape of implants, you can easily predict what your breasts will look like after the surgery. Your plastic surgeon, Dr Dragana Spica will demonstrate it during your consultation. At that moment, you can choose smaller or bigger implants until you finally agree on the best ones.
Finally, breast implants have a long history of use. Over the decades, scientists have studied the techniques of placing the implants and made them safer and refined. Also, when it comes to final results, breast implants now feel very natural when placed, which is a huge advantage. In the end, you don’t want your breast to feel like someone else’s after breast augmentation surgery.
What are the cons of breast implants?
There are a few things you need to consider when it comes to breast implants. One risk that breast implants carry is capsular contracture. Even though the capsule or scar tissue is a good thing and helps keep the breast implant in place, in some rare cases, it becomes unusually hard and causes pain in your breasts. This risk is very rare, and with the latest silicone implant generation, it almost never happens.
Breast implant rupture is another risk that happens with saline or silicone-gel implants. This happens when the outer shell of the implant tears and causes silicone or saline to leak out. After implant rupture, breasts may decrease in size, change in shape, or start to be tender or even painful. The usual treatment is the removal of the implant and the placement of a new one. Regarding technique, breast implants need to be placed through larger incisions, which typically leave a scar. However, skilled plastic surgeons hide the scar in natural creases of your breasts and make them practically invisible. Finally, as you already know, breast implants don’t last forever. But if there are no complications, they can last for 10 to 15years. Then you need to replace or remove them, which requires another surgery.
Fat Transfer for Breast Augmentation – the Natural Option
Fat transfer is a sophisticated and advanced technique that offers you more than just breast enhancement. Your own fat is harvested from a body area like the thighs or abdomen and transferred into your breasts. That’s the beauty of this technique – it makes one area of your body slimmer and nicely contoured while it enhances your breasts at the same time.
How does it work?
Together with your plastic surgeon, you choose the body area from which the fat is harvested. Your plastic surgeon uses liposuction to remove the fat from this area (your thighs, waist, or abdomen). The surgeon does this very carefully and in a minimally invasive way.
The harvested fat is then purified, which means that blood and other unnecessary elements are removed. After that, the purified fat is placed into syringes, which the plastic surgeon uses to transfer the fat into your breasts.
This step actually shows how skilled and artistic your plastic surgeon is. This step needs to be done with super great precision in order to create fuller and better contoured breasts. You don’t want to end up with uneven or strangely shaped breasts. That’s why you need to choose the best plastic surgeon for this technique.
What are the pros of fat transfer?
One of the biggest advantages of this technique for breast augmentation is that it provides you with a natural look and feel. Since your own fat is used in this aesthetic surgery, your breasts feel soft and smooth. The transferred fat integrates with your breast tissue and creates a seamless look without rippling or edges. As we already mentioned, fat transfer offers you a double benefit. After liposuction, your donor area is nicely shaped and slimmer. So you get body-contouring as a plus, together with breast enhancement. It’s like your plastic surgeon has molded your silhouette into a more harmonious shape in a single procedure. Finally, with fat transfer, there are no foreign materials. Fat is the most natural body filler, and there is no risk that your body might reject it.
What are the cons of fat transfer?
There are a few things you need to consider before you choose this option for breast augmentation. Fat transfer has limitations when it comes to size increase. It can add 1 cup size or even less. So it doesn’t dramatically increase your breasts as implants may do. But if you are in for just a subtle enhancement, then fat transfer can do a lot for you. Fat transfer carries a risk of developing fat necrosis, or a small area of fat that doesn’t survive. This area leads to lumps and firm spots that may need additional treatment.
Another thing you need to know about fat transfer is that some amount of transferred fat will be reabsorbed by your body. This is completely normal for this procedure since your own fat is used. Your plastic surgeon will need to transfer more fat than necessary to make sure that enough fat will eventually stay in your breasts. But this also means that you may need more than one session to achieve the desired look.
This brings us to the final point – you need to have enough fat in your donor area. Your plastic surgeon needs to be absolutely sure that the excess fat on your thighs or abdomen will be enough to bring you the desired results.
Who Is an Ideal Candidate for Breast Augmentation?
How will you know if you are a good candidate for breast augmentation? Well, certainly the best option is the one that complements your goals, body, and lifestyle. Both fat transfer and implants offer you benefits, but there are some things to consider when thinking about ideal candidates.
Breast implants might be for you if you desire more dramatic results. This means that you want breast implants that will increase the size of your breasts by more than one cup size and give you fuller and more considerable changes. Also, if you are naturally lean and don’t have excess fat on your body, implants will provide you with the volume you desire without donor fat. Implants are also a good option if you want to create a fuller upper projection of your breasts and create a lifted look of your décolletage.
Fat transfer is your match if you want a subtle, natural enhancement of your breasts. It won’t give you a dramatic increase in cup size, but your breasts will feel soft and natural. Plus, the fat transfer technique will finally eliminate those stubborn fat deposits in your abdomen and thighs and transfer them where they are actually needed. Finally, if you wish to avoid implants and keep it natural, fat transfer could be your thing.
Recovery – What to Expect After Breast Augmentation
Knowing what to expect after the surgery is just as important as choosing the right option itself. The healing process for implants and fat transfer is a bit different. Breast implants generally require a longer recovery period. The downtime is longer, during which you might experience swelling, bruising, and discomfort. You should avoid heavy lifting and straining your upper body. You need to pay attention to your incisions and keep them clean and dry. You can expect the side effects to subside gradually and go back to work after 1 to 2 weeks. The results are dramatic – after the swelling passes, you will see the desired size, shape, and symmetry of your breasts. Fat transfer for breast augmentation requires a bit shorter recovery, but you have two sites that are healing – your breasts and the fat donor area.
You might feel discomfort and experience bruising and tenderness to touch. You may return to light activities in just a couple of days. Plus, your breasts will appear much bigger and swollen because of the extra fat injected. You may have to wait for a couple of months to see the final outcomes, after your body has reabsorbed some amount of transferred fat. All in all, your safety and comfort are in the first place. Your plastic surgeon will guide you through your healing process and make sure you achieve the desired results.
How Much does Breast Augmentation Cost?
When thinking about the right technique for breast augmentation, it’s only natural that the price comes to your mind. When it comes to fat transfer, it may be initially more expensive because of liposuction. Also, you may need more sessions to achieve the desired results. That adds extra costs.
On the other hand, implants could be more affordable at the beginning, but you will need to replace them eventually, so that is an extra cost in the long run. Also, if you desire custom-made implants, they might cost more.
Final Thoughts
One important fact that supports your decision to undergo breast augmentation is that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. What works for your friend might not work for you at all – your body is unique, so every breast augmentation surgery should be unique also. In order to achieve the best results based on your goals, anatomy, and lifestyle habits, it’s important to choose a board-certified plastic surgeon like Dr. Dragana Spica. This amazing doctor will help you make the most informed decision about which breast augmentation technique is right for you. Dr. Spica will explain all the benefits and risks of both techniques, recommend the best option based on your anatomy, and create a customized treatment plan that will be as unique as you are.
Ready to enhance your confidence with a breast augmentation that’s tailored just for you? Schedule a consultation with board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Dragana Spica today, and take the first step toward a result that’s as unique as you are.
